The Left “No Platform” their former heroes!
In recent months it has got some media attention that there is a widespread habit, particularly with Student Unions, but also with other Left-wing groups to “No Platform”, not just their obvious political opponents, such as the longstanding refusal to appear on any hustings or discussion panel with representatives of the BNP, National Front or any other so-called Far Right party, but also anyone who disagrees on any detail of Leftist dogma.
So over the last few months there has been the no platforming of Germaine Greer, the long-time leading feminist who has dared to say “just because you lop off your penis…it doesn’t make you a woman” and so got herself banned by various student unions from coming to speak at the universities. Apparently it might lead to some of the poor little darlings having their “safe space” violated!
But in the last few weeks there has been the amazing spectacle of both Peter Tatchell, the leading Gay Rights campaigner, and Nick Lowles the founder and leader of the Leftist agitprop group “Hope not Hate” both being “no Platformed” for daring to criticise any aspect of Islamism!
Maybe a factor is that the Left in the UK is actually a much smaller number of people than was previously realised. Maybe we can get a clear insight into that by the fact that Jeremy Corbyn’s vote was only 251,417 people.
When you factor in that some of those were Conservatives trying to vote a wholly unelectable Labour Leader and that there might have been some few Leftists who did not register to vote for him, nevertheless we have got a good figure for the likely maximum number of the Far-Left in the UK.
That means that all their little squabbles are amongst a relatively small group and so it is perhaps not quite so surprising that they are “fighting like rats in a proverbial sack”. The other proverbial saying which seems appropriate is the ancient Greek comment “those whom the Gods wish to destroy they first made mad!”
Here is an article about Nick Lowles’ “No Platforming”:-
HOPE not hate chief executive, Nick Lowles, ‘no-platformed’ by NUS for being ‘Islamophobic’
The head of a campaign which seeks to counter racism and fascism in the UK has allegedly been “no-platformed” by the National Union of Students (NUS) on the grounds he is “Islamophobic.”
Nick Lowles, chief executive of HOPE not hate, took to his Facebook to criticise Black Students – the NUS campaign which focuses on equality in education, black representation, anti-racism and anti-fascism – for its “ultra-left lunacy.”
As displayed in a tweet from journalist and blogger Sunny Hundal, Mr Lowles alleged on Thursday that NUS Black Students was opposing a plan to invite him to speak on an anti-racism platform because he’s “Islamophobic.”
He continued: “Never mind all the work HOPE not hate has done challenging anti-Muslim hatred, it seems that some ultra left activists believe I’m Islamophobic because I have repeatedly spoken out against grooming and dared condemn Islamist extremism.”
Mr Lowles said the charge of Islamophobia was “obviously quite ridiculous.” The row comes amid a growing outcry against the trend of “no-platforming” at British universities following the revelation veteran human rights activist Peter Tatchell had been snubbed by students for his free speech stance
In a statement, Mr Lowles said: “I am an independent member of the Government’s Anti-Muslim hatred Working Group and over the last few years HOPE not hate, as an organisation, has worked closely with Muslim communities throughout Britain to defeat the politics of hate. Only last December, I co-authored the most comprehensive report into organised anti-Muslim hatred.
“My crime, it seems, has been to repeatedly call on the anti-racist movement to do more to condemn on-street grooming by gangs and campaigning against Islamist extremist groups in the UK and abroad. I make no apology for either position. We need to be consistent in our opposition to extremism – from whatever quarter it comes.”
He added: “The situation is almost amusing in its absurdity, but I want to stress that my beef is with a small group of ultra-leftists within the NUS, not NUS itself.”
Mr Tatchell has come to the defence of Mr Lowles. He told the Independent: “Nick Lowles and HOPE Not Hate have an extemporary, trail-blazing record of fighting racism and fascism. The idea that there should be any attempt to prevent them speaking is profoundly disturbing. It smacks of political sectarianism of the worst kind.
“There are many good people in the NUS, but it seems that a significant minority are more interested in fighting other activists than fighting real racists, fascists and anti-Muslim bigots.”
Click here for a link to the original article>>> HOPE not hate chief executive, Nick Lowles, ‘no-platformed’ by NUS for being ‘Islamophobic’ | News | Student | The Independent